The City of Burnaby plans to turn to the courts and police to dismantle an anti-pipeline protest camp on Burnaby Mountain, where protesters refused to obey a city eviction order Saturday.

After the eviction order’s 72-hour deadline lapsed at 6 a.m. — with no police or city officials at Underhill Avenue and Shellmont Street to enforce it — protesters at “Camp Cloud” held a news conference where they reiterated their plan to stay put.

On Wednesday, city officials ordered them to immediately remove all structures, trailers and vehicles, as well as put out fires, tear down a shower and leash their dogs.

Kwitsel Tatel, court monitor for the camp, said Camp Cloud will “exercise the charter right” to peaceful protest and said a sacred fire and structures built around the fire must remain there to support the protesters’ work to protect water.

“Camp Cloud will not be evicted,” she said. “We call for mutual respect of our Coast Salish laws.”

Protesters are concerned about the potential environmental effects of the contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, which would twin an existing pipeline and increase oil tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet nearly seven-fold.

Kinder Morgan obtained a B.C. Supreme Court injunction in March to prevent the protesters from interfering with its work. In May, Burnaby city manager Lambert Chu said the camp was protected by the injunction. Earlier this week, however, Chu said the camp’s growth had become a cause for concern after months of attempts by the city to bring it into compliance with its bylaws.

A camp representative who identified himself as “John Doe” told reporters his group will meet with city officials to discuss safety concerns and how the camp can come into compliance with those bylaws.

Chu, who could not be reached Saturday, has a meeting with the group scheduled for Monday.

“We are not going to put out the (sacred) fire and we are planning to make the neighbourhood a more safe and clean environment for everyone, all around,” Doe said. He said protesters will work to pick up garbage around the camp and engage the public in discussion.

Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, who spoke with reporters at another event after the Camp Cloud news conference, said RCMP, fire officials, B.C. Hydro and Kinder Morgan believe the camp’s ceremonial fires and permanent structures present a danger, according to a report by the Burnaby Now.

Corrigan said city staff, not council, made the decision to enforce bylaws with support from the RCMP.

“Our CEO has indicated that the appropriate choice, in consultations with the lawyers, is to go to court and get an enforceable order that the RCMP feel comfortable in utilizing in order to complete the eviction from that area,” he said.

“I fully expect they’ll do everything they can to make this peaceful and to ensure it’s done in an orderly way.”

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